Newsletter2 03012015
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Response Bulletin Jammu & Kashmir Flood Response, J&K 2014 Vol 2 January, 2015 Key Note Message The peculiar geographical location and topography of District across the District will be undertaken shortly. At the same time since Bandipore exposes it to various disasters in a unique way. The District Flood control and landslide reduction is a single largest priority, various has three sub divisions and each part is vulnerable in its own manner. civil works which can aid in fl ood and landslide protection, slope The remotest sub-division of the District, Gurez valley located 85km stabilization, river bandh reinforcement, removal of encroachments from District Headquarters is prone to snow avalanches and landslides is being considered. Establishment of an EOC in the District is also besides regular incidents of confl agration due to abundance of being expedited. wood-houses. Similarly, “Sonawari” sub-division (which means “a Similarly, a comprehensive Detailed Project Report (DPR) for deep garden” in Kashmiri language) being mainly in the catchment construction of special shelters for protection from cross border fi ring of River Jhelum has experienced heavy fl oods in the past. Bandipora in Gurez valley has also been prepared a few days back. The point Tehsil is sandwiched between a series of hills and Wular Lake which is to approach Disaster Management in the District in a very scientifi c makes it prone to fl oods & landslides. Not to forget the fact that whole manner and develop standard practices and checklists which will help region falls within Seismic zone V and is thus extremely susceptible the fi eld agencies in undertaking the activities of Disaster Mitigation to earthquakes as well. and Response without confusion. Under State Disaster Response A look at last history of 50 years would tell us that the District Fund (SDRF), adequate fi nancial resources have been kept at the has seen extreme disaster situations ranging from massive fl oods to disposal of the District administration and the need is to ensure that high intensity earthquakes entailing huge damage to life and property. the highest impact is ensured from every penny spent. While as the fl oods of 1957, had devastated massive stretches We have setup a target for ourselves that after the initial consultation of Sonawari sub-division, the fl oods of 1992, in Madhumati-Arin with line departments and capturing the disaster profi le of various watershed created havoc in Bandipora Tehsil causing huge losses areas of District through historical study, fi eld visits, GIS mapping etc., to life & property. Similarly during the earthquake of 2005 massive a draft Disaster Management plan of District will be framed in next two damages to public infrastructure and property was reported across months which will be subsequently published for public comments. the length and breadth of District. In 2012, a snow avalanche washed Disaster Management is a cyclic process and the District away a part of Army unit in Dawar Gurez killing 17 Army personnel Administration is ready to learn from the mistakes of the past and on the spot. Not to forget the immense catastrophe which District move forward in accordance with statutory requirements and global experienced during recent fl oods in the month of September 2014 best practices. which resulted into 5 deaths and damage to more than 20,000 private structure besides infrastructure damage of more than Rs. 100 crore. However, despite such a horrifying disaster profi le no serious efforts have been made so far to approach the issue of Disaster Management in a scientifi c manner. The District has not documented its Disaster Mitigation and Response activities in the form of Disaster Management plan and so far the whole effort of District administration Dr. Shah Faesal (IAS) has been disaster response-centric. Post 2005 earthquake the District Magistrate Bandipora understanding of disaster was overwhelmed by too much emphasis on mitigation and reduction of seismic impact as much as after the recent fl oods the discourse has shifted to fl ood-oriented Disaster Management. It’s only after experiencing the calamity of a huge magnitude in Sept, 2014 that some serious thought is being given to the preparation of a comprehensive Disaster Management plan. This is notwithstanding the fact that a Disaster Management Act is in force and a District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has duly constituted. But in practice it is to be admitted that Disaster Management as a main stream activity with its roots in developmental planning has been amiss so far. I must acknowledge that Sphere India has done well by extending its hand of cooperation to District administration to frame a District Disaster Management Plan for Bandipora District. I am happy that the team of consultants brings in rich experience from settings like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka which are going to be useful here. The idea is to have a plan which takes care of the future disasters and requirements of the District and tries to integrate the developmental planning strategies with the Disaster Management activities. To begin with, emphasis is being laid on promotion of earthquake resistant building designs for which capacity building of the master-masons Page- 1 Coordination Updates from Sphere India December 2014 Shelter Group Meeting First Multistakeholder Consultation Srinagar District Headquarter, Bandipore A Shelter Group Meeting was organized at EoC on 2nd December The consultation was organized at District Headquarter, and was attended by few Agencies working on Shelter in Srinagar Bandipore on 6th December after receiving request from the and Pulwama districts. Each Agency came up with their Identifi cation District Administration on providing technical support. The main process, criterion for selection of benefi ciary, shelter design, shelter agenda for the workshop was to review and give suggestions cost, timeline and donor. CARITAS India and SEEDS came up with on the existing DDMP and to discuss the process for updation/ their Shelter prototypes. Sphere India also circulated the Shelter preparation of improved DDMP. During this meeting it was also Benefi ciary Tool among the Shelter Group, for proving details of proposed that Sphere India would facilitate trainings on usage benefi ciaries who are/will be supported with Shelter Units (by the of Google Earth software for mapping the disaster affected month of December). The shelter units in the affected districts will zones, relief and rehabilitation activities . The Geo tagging and be captured through Geo-tagged images for Google Earth Mapping. referencing of the affected houses and village infrastructure could Maps can be attached. be complemented by pictures. Information can be compiled at the levels of district, block, village and individual households. The District Development Commissioner Bandipore proposed the development of a Model Village in Bandipore, during a GO NGO Coordination Meeting at the district headquarter, to set a unique example of coordination between government and non- government agencies. In this regard a Study Tour to one of the most affected village, Zurimanz situated along the Wular Lake, was organized by district administration on 6th December. A Matrix was developed highlighting the sectoral needs and gaps in this Model Village in Bandipore. All Agencies are invited to share their interest in providing support after going through the Need Analysis Sheet which is as below Page- 2 MATRIX FOR VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES: ZURIMANZ - BANDIPORE SECTOR GAP NEEDS TO BE DONE BY WHOM? Increasing illegal encroachments around • Relocation by moving inland. Department for Land Use Wular Lake are leading to high risk of fl ooding • Constructing multi-storeyed planning? and inundation of the habitation areas. houses?? • Alternative livelihood strategies National Rural Mission for Natural are required to be provided to the Livelihoods (NRLM) Resource Resource communities. Convergence with NREGA? Management Most households in the village are landless. • Community members suggested for NRLM Their prime source of income is fi shing and awareness generation though news/ NREGA? cultivating lotuses and water chestnuts. media to disseminate that the lake Media However due to fl oods the produce is produce is not infected and thus is perceived as “infected” and thus inedible. edible. Therefore, in this post fl ood scenario with all • There could be perhaps some kind Livelihoods the losses incurred, the affected community of water treatment and cleaning in the is trying very hard to earn cash income. areas where it is dirty?? • There is a lack of toilettes in the village. • Toilettes need to be built in the Department of Rural Open defecation is practised. homes and community spaces. Development - Total • Village also lacks waste management Awareness generation on usage of Sanitation Campaign and one can see plastics and rubbish toilettes and making it a habit. scattered around the village. • Awareness generation on waste Sanitation management. • Sexual and reproductive health of • Training to local dais/experienced Department of Health women suffers badly in this village. ladies in facilitating child delivery. There is no functional system of ASHA/ Awareness generation on waste ANM in the village. Women have to go management. outside the village for child-delivery. • Provision of delivery kits for safe child MISP – Sphere India The transportation includes a boat and delivery. a car which costs 800 Rs. During the • Awareness generation amongst men fl ood there have been instances of and women about reproductive, new bon mortalities in this village. maternal and child health practices. • Children suffer from abdominal worms. • Women need to be provided with Anganwadi is not functional to provide free transportation in case of child Health such services. deliveries outside the village. • Anganwadi need to be made ICDS and Save the Children functional. A committed lady from within the community needs to be recruited as Anganwadi worker. • Organise deworming camps for children • Community requested for a doctor NRHM/Department of Health and ambulance stationed in the village.